Epictetus

“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”

“No man is free who is not master of himself.”

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“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”

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“Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.”

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“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”

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“Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.”

“Preach not to others what they should eat, but eat as becomes you, and be silent.”

“Who is your master? Whoever has authority over the things you desire or seek to avoid.”

“Only the educated are free.”

“If you would be a reader, read; if a writer, write.”

“If thy brother wrongs thee, remember not so much his wrong-doing, but more than ever that he is thy brother.”

“When you are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger.”

“He who laughs at himself never runs out of things to laugh at.”

“We suffer not from the events in our lives but from our judgment about them.”

“Seek not the good in external things; seek it in yourselves.”

“People are not disturbed by things, but by the views they take of them.”

“The greater the difficulty, the more glory in surmounting it.”

“No man is free who is not master of himself.”

“If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.”

“The good or ill of a man lies within his own will.”

“We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.”

“If you wish to be a writer, write.”

“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.”

“God has entrusted me with myself.”

“The essence of philosophy is that a man should so live that his happiness shall depend as little as possible on external things.”

“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”

“The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control.”

“Progress is not achieved by luck or accident, but by working on yourself daily.”

“Demand not that events should happen as you wish; but wish them to happen as they do happen, and you will go on well.”

“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.”

“It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”

Enchiridion

“Be not swept off your feet by the vividness of the impression, but say, 'Impression, wait for me a little.'”

“If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make excuses about what is said of you but answer: He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would not have mentioned these alone.”

“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”

“Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.”

“Circumstances don't make the man, they only reveal him to himself.”

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”

“It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”

“Any person capable of angering you becomes your master.”

“Attach yourself to what is spiritually superior, regardless of what other people think or do.”

“Practice yourself, for heaven's sake in little things, and then proceed to greater.”

“Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them.”

“Freedom is secured not by the fulfilling of one's desires, but by the removal of desire.”

“Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not.”

“On the occasion of every accident that befalls you, remember to turn to yourself and inquire what power you have for turning it to use.”

“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.”

“You become what you give your attention to.”

“What is the first business of one who practices philosophy? To get rid of self-conceit.”

“Neither should a ship rely on one small anchor, nor should life rest on a single hope.”

“Keep your attention focused entirely on what is truly your own concern, and be clear that what belongs to others is their business and none of yours.”

“Other people's views and troubles can be contagious. Don't sabotage yourself by unwittingly adopting negative, unproductive attitudes.”

“Control thy passions lest they take vengeance on thee.”

“Small-minded people blame others. Average people blame themselves. The wise see all blame as foolishness.”

“Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems.”

“Caretake this moment. Immerse yourself in its particulars.”

“How long are you going to wait before you demand the best for yourself?”

“Difficulties are things that show a person what they are.”

“Know, first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly.”

“Nature hath given men one tongue but two ears, that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak.”

“If evil be said of thee, and if it be true, correct thyself; if it be a lie, laugh at it.”

“Don't explain your philosophy. Embody it.”

“No great thing is created suddenly.”